Megillah of Esther

Megillah of Esther. Hebrew. Southern Europe? eighteenth century?
Manuscript on parchment scroll. (BRMS 53)

Hebrew scrolls of the Megillah of Esther are notoriously difficult to date and localize, given the longstanding traditions behind their production. Written on the skin of a kosher animal, the text comprises the ten chapters of the Book of Esther, including the story of Purim. During the Purim holiday, the Megillah must be read in the synagogue from a handwritten scroll. Following tradition, in this copy the scribe has set off the names of the ten defeated sons of Haman in enlarged letters.